The Portland daily press., 1887-01-15
McFARLAND's TRIAL.
The Prisoner Tells the Story of the
Murder and the Flight.
He Denies that He Ever Aided Graves
in Any Way,
And Since They Parted Has Not
Heard From Him.

| MAcHIAs, Jan. 1.-THE defence closed the
| examination OF witnesses in the Mcfarland
trial this afternoon, Mr.. Hutchins making
his argument. The government will COM
mence its argument tomorrow forenoon, the
the trial closing at noon The defence has
been ably conducted. Public opinion is quite
evenly divided as to the result.
After Judge buttons opening for the de-
fence, Mason II. Wilder, the trial justice be-
fore whom Mcfarland was examined when
arrested last November, testified as to issu-
ing warrant for the arrest of unknown
persons then at large for the murder of Niles
and Hill. The warrant placed in the officers
hands pointed to two men who murdered
the wardens at Fletcher Brook. afterwards
shown to be Graves and Mcfarland.
MlcFarIand's Testimony.
James Mcfarland testified: Fer two weeks
previous to leaving they had talked over the
trip; had known Graves for a long time /,
live two miles apart; Graves wanted to take
the dog; Mcfarland did not; Graves prevail
ed and took the dog to scare up partridges
with; left home Friday morning and reached
Fletcher Brook about o'clock Saturday af-
ternoon; the entire distance by road from
home is about so miles; hunted some Sun
day; Raymond Wilson and his father came
to the camp Saturday evening and staid till
Monday morning; went hunting Monday af-
ternoon and got back to the house at II
O'Clock; about noon the McReavy boy came !;
the boy said Niles and Hill, the game war
dens, are coming; Niles came about O'Clock
and Hill ten minutes latter Niles; Hill said,
II see you have dog, does he kill deer?"
Graves said "No;" discussion of the game
law and the use of dogs ensued; Mcfarland
said, Monday afternoon we will go some
where else; it will be unpleasant to keep on
this discussion; Niles said, we must have
your dog; the dog had been fastened in the
house; Mcfarland took the dog into the
wagon and held him between his knees
Niles approached, at the same time taking
off his coat; Graves said. he is my dog, don't
you touch him. Graves stood at the right of
the wagon, back of me; heard the report
of gun and saw Niles fall dead in an in
slant Hill also fell; l did not see Graves
shoot; Graves and Mcfarland harnessed the
horse and drove off together; no person was
present at the shooting except the McReavy
boy; half hour after the firing / saw a
man coming, the father of the boy; Graves
said this is hard looking sight; McReavy
said, what is it? Graves said, these men,
they are deer wardens; / had to kill them or
they would have killed me; McReavy said,
you go to your homes, will take care of the
bodies; we drove to Aurora, 26 miles from
Ellsworth, thence to within four and half
miles of the city, and left the team at Fletch-
er's early Tuesday morning; McFarland's
gun was not loaded while at Fletcher's
Brook house; l kept quiet till Saturday;
called at one farmhouse Wednesday; wanted
to disclose to Sheriff Field, and did so; the
reason did not go directly home was that
feared arrest; Graves said before we parted,
he should give himself up to the sheriff in
five days; | was near my home in thick
growth Of small trees; went home Sunday
evening, and / never haze seen or heard
from Graves since the morning we parted;
never aided him in any way.